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Assignees
Member
Hamilton Medical Inc.Hamilton Medical is focused on the development, manufacturing, and training for advanced respiratory support technologies. The company provides intelligent ventilation systems, high flow oxygen therapy, noninvasive ventilation, and educational platforms for healthcare professionals. Their offerings emphasize patient safety, data-driven decision making, and regulatory compliance across intensive care, transport, neonatal, and emergency settings.
Hamilton Medical is focused on the development, manufacturing, and training for advanced respiratory support technologies. The company provides intelligent ventilation systems, high flow oxygen therapy, noninvasive ventilation, and educational platforms for healthcare professionals. Their offerings emphasize patient safety, data-driven decision making, and regulatory compliance across intensive care, transport, neonatal, and emergency settings.
Publication Number
US-11413423-B2
Publication Date
2022-08-16
Expiration Date
Abstract
An expiratory valve (10) of a ventilation device (100), including a valve body (12) having a fluid inlet (14) and a fluid outlet (16) for breathing air of a patient formed therein the valve body (12) defining a fluid flow path between fluid inlet (14) and fluid outlet (16), with the cross-sectional area of the fluid flow path expanding in the direction towards the fluid outlet (16).
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an expiratory valve (10) of a ventilation device (100) for breathing air of a patient. The valve body (12) forms a fluid flow path between a fluid inlet (14) and a fluid outlet (16) and defines a cup-shaped valve plenum (18) at least partially surrounded by a valve bottom (24). The valve bottom (24) originates from an edge (26) of the fluid inlet (14) and provides a fluid entry surface (22) into the valve plenum (18).
The valve bottom (24) has a rounded contour on its side facing the valve plenum (18), and extends in a dish-like manner between the fluid inlet (14) and an outer edge of the valve body (12). In particular, the valve bottom (24) bulges in an axial direction around the fluid inlet (14) such that an axial bulge (32) is formed with a varying depth around the circumference of the fluid inlet (14). This geometry is configured so that a cross-sectional area of the fluid flow path expands in a direction towards the fluid outlet (16).
The described arrangement is presented as matching the flow behavior during expiration by expanding the cross-sectional area towards the fluid outlet (16), which reduces turbulence, noise, and retroactive pressure effects. Such retroactive pressure effects are described as being able to cause auto-trigger/auto-cycle in a mechanical ventilation device. The disclosure further describes embodiments in which a valve membrane (20) and additional structural features interact with the valve plenum and the fluid inlet (14), while the valve is made as an integral plastic construction including reinforcing ribs around the fluid inlet (14) and a support for managing valve-membrane deformation when clamped.
Claims Coverage
The document provides one independent claim (clm-00001). The inventive features focus on the cup-shaped valve plenum and a dish-like valve bottom that creates an axial bulge around the fluid inlet to expand the cross-sectional area of the fluid flow path toward the fluid outlet, thereby shaping expiratory breathing-air flow within the valve.
Axially bulged dish-like valve bottom for expanding flow-path area
A valve body (12) defining a cup-shaped valve plenum (18) at least partially surrounded by a valve bottom (24) and having a dish-like valve bottom (24) that bulges in an axial direction in a portion around the fluid inlet (14), thereby forming an axial bulge (32) having a varying depth around the circumference of the fluid inlet (14) such that a cross-sectional area of the fluid flow path expands in the direction towards the fluid outlet (16).
Rounded contour on valve-bottom side facing the plenum
The valve bottom (24), starting from an inside of the fluid inlet (14) at an edge (26) of a fluid entry surface (22), has a rounded contour on its side facing the valve plenum (18).
Across the independent claim, the core inventive structure is the cup-shaped valve plenum (18) combined with a dish-like valve bottom (24) that forms an axial bulge (32) with circumferentially varying depth to expand the cross-sectional area of the fluid flow path toward the fluid outlet (16), with rounded contours on the valve-bottom side facing the plenum.
Stated Advantages
Reduces turbulence during expiratory breathing-air flow.
Reduces noise.
Reduces retroactive pressure effects that can cause auto-trigger/auto-cycle.
Documented Applications
Used in a mechanical ventilation device context as an expiratory valve to mitigate issues associated with auto-trigger/auto-cycle during expiration.
A ventilation device in which the expiratory valve is adapted to connect to an expiration air conduit (140).
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